bell hooks, the Dalai Lama, and Margaret Atwood. I think they all are brilliant commentators on human nature and self-improvement, and I would be fascinated to hear what they'd have to say to each other.

Hypatia, because she must have been a very formidable, yet curious, person.
Leonardo da Vinci, for the same reason.
Margaret Mead, to give it gender balance (including me), and because she would have been very fascinating to talk to.

All of this possible because the Star Trek universe rule of instant translation prevails.

I'm gonna go with President Obama, former President George W. Bush, and former President Clinton. I'm gonna serve a long, long meal, and make them drink* so they'll spill all the good stuff and fight like schoolgirls.

*I believe W. does not drink, but for the sake of this exercise, he does and will.

Annie Oakley, Mark Twain, and Buffalo Bill, because I want to hang out with all those people.

(I want to attend everyone else's dinner parties, too!)

I would invite Alulim, first king of Eridu and Sumer (c. 3500 B.C.E.); the great English archaeologist Leonard Woolley (1880-1960); and Igor M. Diakonov (1915-1999), renowned linguist and Ancient Near East expert. Not only would it be interesting to me, but I'm pretty sure they'd all get a kick out of each other.

I first thought Oh, I'll pick all ancient kings and prophet types so I could loom over them with my modern stature and clap the lights on and off like a vengeful god, but I chose scholarship over parlor tricks. There's a first time for everything.

Now, for the menu! What to serve, what to serve...?

1) George Gershwin
2) Albert Einstein
3) Leonardo DaVinci
4) Johann Sebastian Bach
5) Amelia Earhart


I don't care, I'm inviting 5.

Beatrice Arthur so I could get some ass kicking lessons.
Jerry Brown (CA gov) because he is cool as shit.
Angela Adams because she's one of my favorite designers.
Banksy, because he's my favorite artist and is fucking brilliant. He can wear a ski mask, even.
Mark Knopfler & his band because I love them.
Arianna Huffington because the world needs more successful female role models.
Richard Branson because he is still an entrepreneur & understands the value of crazy unconnectedness.

Margaret Atwood because I had a mad crush on her when I was 15 and her writing makes me happy to read it and sad because I will never do anything so good.

Alice Munro because her writing makes me happy to read it and sad because I will never do anything so good.

Andrew, my younger son. Because I miss him.

Laurie Colwin, one of favoritest writers ever, also she died young, was a foodie, and I miss her dreadfully.
John Brunner, one of favoritest writers ever, wrote some exceptional SF, really really cyberpunk, and alleged to have been an uncommonly nice fellow. I think he'd enjoy coming back and seeing how some things turned out.
Robert Sapolsky, so smart, interesting a such a terrific person. Also a favoritest writer. Also, I have a huge crush on him. in a non-squick way. he's married.
Calvin Trillin, another favoritest writer, who is diverse, funny, a foodie, and would be an excellent dinner companion.
Margaret Drabble, another favoritest writer, who is well-educated, interesting, and wonderful.